Stratos VLJ Undergoes Wind Tunnel Testing

Pia Bergqvist

Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 08:28 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Stratos Aircraft completed initial wind tunnel testing for its 714 VLPJ, verifying novel design elements like the scalloped forward fuselage but identifying the need for further adjustments and testing of the wing-body fairings.
The Stratos 714 is envisioned as a very light personal jet for 4-5 people, targeting ambitious performance specs including speeds over 400 knots and a 1,500-nm range, with a projected price of around $2 million.
Stratos Aircraft is currently accepting refundable deposits and seeking investors, with a goal of having two prototypes flying within the next two years pending successful fundraising.

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Five days of wind tunnel testing for the Stratos 714 very light personal jet (VLPJ) have been completed at the University of Washington Aeronautical Laboratory (UWAL) in Seattle, Washington. More than 90 tests were conducted on a one-fifth-scale aluminum, polycarbonate and composite model of the single-engine jet design.** **

Engineers are still analyzing the data collected from the wind tunnel tests, but a news release stated: “Initial results show the tests verified the novel areas of the design; the scalloped forward fuselage in particular. ” The tests did, however, conclude that the wing-body fairings need to be adjusted and additional wind tunnel work will be required to finalize their design.